12-15 October 2018

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the itinerary change?

Though it is rarely necessary, Royal Caribbean reserves the right to alter the itinerary due to adverse weather, safety concerns, port closings, or mechanical issues. Throwback works closely with Royal Caribbean to preserve the scheduled itinerary and will communicate any changes to guests at the earliest opportunity.

Are Visas or Passports Required for Travel?

For UK Citizens: No visa is needed. A valid passport is required with 6 months validity on your passport and at least 2 blank pages within your passport

For Non-UK Citizens: You must have a valid passport and any necessary visas for travel. Please carefully verify the existing identification requirements for your particular travel situation with your local consulate.

What time do we need to board the ship?

Due to new government regulations requiring cruise lines to submit final departure manifests at least 60 minutes prior to sailing, guests are requested to complete Online Check-in no later than 3 days prior to their cruise. If you do not complete Online Check-in 3 days prior, you will be required to complete this process at the pier at least two hours prior to the published sailing time. Please note: All guests must be checked-in and onboard the ship no later than 90 minutes prior to the published sailing time or you will not be permitted to sail.

What do I have to pay for while I am on the cruise?

Anything in the gift shops, shore excursions, alcohol, sodas and the speciality restaurants.

Can I purchase a Drinks Packages for the cruise?

We are delighted to announce several Beverage Packages onboard our Throwback Festival cruise. The full list and how to book can be found below on our website by clicking HERE. Our favourite is The Deluxe Drinks Package which starts at $65USD* per person per day (approx. £48) inclusive of onboard taxes and gratuities. *Beverage package prices are subject to the currency exchange at the time of booking.

Important Note from RCCL’s T&C’s:

“All guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom and under the same stateroom booking number are required to purchase the same beverage package. The package cannot be shared by guests. Guest agrees to not provide or share drinks with other guests; a violation of this may result in cancellation of the guest’s package and the guest will not receive a refund or credit of any kind”.

What should I pack?

Must Bring:

All your Travel Documents. On boarding day, you should bring your printed e-documents with you as well as your valid passport. Without these documents you won’t be able to join the ship.

Pack the appropriate costumes for our theme nights.

Don’t forget any medication or valuables you may need to keep with you in your carry bags. It could take several hours for your checked bags to be delivered to your cabin. You can carry on items that measure 24”w x 16”h (there is no restriction on the length of the bag). Be sure you keep your boarding documentation with you (passport, etc). A reminder to NOT pack your Passport in your checked bag.

What should I NOT Pack?

Don’t Bring:

You don’t need to bring a beach towel (they’re supplied on board).

Hair Dryers. There are hair dryers included in all room types.

Things to sell. No vending will be allowed on board.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages. Guests are prohibited from bringing soft drinks, water, juice, and other non-alcoholic drinks on board. See our beverage policy for more details.

Alcohol & Illegal Substances. Guests are prohibited from bringing any alcohol onboard when embarking in Southampton on Oct 12. Any alcohol purchased in Zeebrugge or from Shops On Board during the cruise will be stored by the ship and delivered to your cabin on the last day of the sailing. Absolutely NO illegal substances are permitted and all persons and bags are subject to search by US Customs during embarkation and debarkation.

What else can't I bring onboard?

Per Royal Caribbean Policy: Passengers are not allowed to bring on board the vessel any firearms, weapons of any kind, ammunition, explosive substances or any goods of a dangerous nature, nor animals of any kind, except service or guide animals, provided the passenger notifies Carrier prior to the cruise of his intention to bring such animal and agrees to take sole responsibility for any expense, damage, injuries or losses associated with or caused by such animal.

Am I allowed to bring any alcohol onboard in Southampton or in the Port of Zeebrugge?

Unfortunately you will not be able to bring any alcohol onboard when embarking in Southampton on Oct 12. Any alcohol purchased in Zeebrugge or from Shops On Board during the cruise will be stored by the ship and delivered to your cabin on the last day of the sailing.

Can I get a cabin upgrade closer to the cruise?

You may be able to purchase an upgrade to a better or larger cabin closer to the cruise. However all upgrades will purely depend on cabin availability at the time. The safest option is to book the cabin you like and happy with at the time of booking your cruise.

Does Royal Caribbean's regular Crown & Anchor loyalty program and points apply to this cruise?

We are happy to confirm that Royal Crown and Anchor guests will receive their points for their sailing with Floating Festivals after they sail.

For all Grand suites and above, passengers will still be able to enjoy the Concierge lounge. However the Diamond lounge won’t be available, as this is used for Floating Festival charter purposes.

However due to this being a Floating Festival cruise charter and separate to a normal Royal Caribbean cruise, unfortunately none of the other Crown & Anchor benefits will be applicable.

Do you need Travel Insurance?

Yes, we recommend you have travel insurance in place to cover your cruise holiday as well as any other destinations you may be visiting independently. Royal Caribbean’s recommended insurance provider is Holiday Extras. To obtain an insurance quotation, please call: 0800 7814231 and quote reference HX192.

On leaving the M3, take the M27 following signs for Southampton Docks.

At junction 3 – join the M271 and continue to follow signs for Southampton Docks.

Dock Gate 10 is the entrance to the terminal area.

From London Gatwick Airport:

Take the A23 from the airport to junction 9a.

Join the M23 driving to junction 7.

Join the M25 following signs for the M3.

Join at junction 12.

Join the M3 and head south, following signs for Southampton and Southampton Docks.

On leaving the M3, take the M27 following signs for Southampton Docks.

At junction 3 – join the M271 and continue to follow signs for Southampton Docks. Dock Gate 10 is the entrance to the terminal area.

Rail Transport

From London Waterloo Station:

Direct Train Service is available on South West Railways from London Waterloo to Southampton Central Station.

Approximate journey time is 1 hour 20 minutes.

Timetable information can be obtained on the internet at www.rail.co.uk .

Round-trip train fare from London’s Waterloo station is approximately USD 65.00 (GBP 35).

The Pier terminal is approximately 15 minutes by taxi from the Southampton train station.

Approximate cost for taxi journey is GBP 8.00.

Parking Information

See the information provided on the next point below.

Can I park at the Port in Southampton?

Parking at Southampton is offered through an independent third party company. We recommend ABP parking www.abparking.co.uk& they have a 10% discount code for all guests if you use Promo Code TA2018. Parking is limited and any questions, queries and logistics need to be coordinated directly with ABP Parking.

How will Floating Festivals send my cruise documents?

Royal Caribbean will provide your ticket as an electronic document (e-doc).

Our e-doc comes in two formats, the first is a link to the online version which you access through the internet and your web browser. This is a full colour version which has photos and links to the important sections on our website; to book shore excursions, speciality dining, online check-in etc. It has a great deal of information about what to do to prepare for your cruise, how things run onboard and details of our policies and the requirements for travel. We strongly recommend that this online version is viewed, so you can ensure that you are aware of any details or travel documents you need for your cruise.

The second version is a slimmed down copy, which comes as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. This is text only and contains the essential items that you need for travel, so that if you want to have a paper ticket to travel, this is the version you can ask your travel agent to print for you or you can obtain it from our website yourself, following the instructions below.

How do I receive my luggage tags?

You will receive your ticket as an electronic document (e-doc). We only supply the ticket as an e-doc now, and we have 2 separate processes for providing the bag tags to you, so you can ensure that your luggage is labelled with the details for your stateroom. This enables you to drop your bags off at the correct area before you then check-in for boarding and we strongly advise all guests to ensure they have their bag tags attached on arrival at the port.

We will include a new version of our bag tag within your cruise tickets (e-docs) for your sailing. This means that every guest will be able to get their bag tags directly from this the royal Caribbean website.